Alameda bungalow steeped in whimsy

Illuminated jellyfish hanging from the ceiling help illuminate the dressing room.

Illuminated jellyfish hanging from the ceiling help illuminate the dressing room.

Photo: Open Homes Photography

Photo: Open Homes Photography

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Illuminated jellyfish hanging from the ceiling help illuminate the dressing room.

Illuminated jellyfish hanging from the ceiling help illuminate the dressing room.

Photo: Open Homes Photography

Alameda bungalow steeped in whimsy

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Jeff Dufford and Ed Bounds have each other — and one particularly serendipitous awning — to thank for the unique appearance of their Alameda home. Their ingenuity transformed the three-bedroom Spanish Bungalow at 1029 Broadway into a whimsical destination with celestial murals, three-dimensional design elements and creative use of both natural and ambient light.

But it all started with an awning set up above the back patio.

“Originally we designed the backyard like the jungles surrounding Mayan ruins we had visited. But when we put up the awning, we agreed a jungle couldn’t have that,” Dufford said. “So we painted the back of the house to look like an Airstream trailer so the awning would blend in, then we filled the yard with Southwestern plantings so it reflects this stainless steel trailer in the desert.”

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To complete the look, the pair installed homemade mesas on the roof to create the illusion of rock formations in the distance.

The home is a testament to hundreds (if not thousands) of hours of sweat equity and individuality.

The couple always intended on expressing themselves through design, but their initial plans were simple enough.

They wanted to break open the compartmentalized interior to maximize light and garden views.

Practicality and livability needed to be addressed before they could start creating, Dufford said.

“We thought about all the little details before remodeling the layout,” he said. “We thought about where you stand while doing dishes and how many steps you would take to get to the refrigerator.”

The focus on ergonomics drove them to rethink the laundry room. By including the washer and dryer in the dressing room off the master suite, Dufford made laundry day far more efficient.

Once the layout came into focus, installing an outdoor element in every room quickly became the goal.

Weekends previously spent dining out gave way to remodeling projects and shopping for materials.

Fortunately, the pair never struggled with inspiration.

During a trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Bounds stood in a circular room flanked by hundreds of jellyfish.

“I said 'I want that,” Bounds said.

Within days, an Atlantis motif began taking shape in the master suite’s dressing room. Sure enough, Bounds got his jellyfish. Handmade creations dangle from the ceiling with light emanating from their tentacles. A myriad of colors adorn the space while a variety of textures mimicking cresting waves provide a three-dimensional design element.

The couple opted for a Southwestern cave motif for their bedroom. Irregularly shaped plastics provide the illusion of yawning caverns. A vibrant red-orange tinge brings to mind Arizona’s Painted Desert.

Down the hall is a bedroom the couple dubbed the “Van Gogh Room” because Bounds painted 13 suns on the walls in the style of the famed Impressionist.

Deciding to leave the home they spent years honing to their tastes didn’t come on a whim.

But an opportunity came for them to live in the area that’s been their muse. It couldn’t be passed up, both agreed.

“We’re moving to the Sonoran desert to feel the warmth, to live the sunrises and sunsets, to share life with the birds and the javelinas and to actually have an Airstream,” Dufford said. “But our Alameda home will always be in our hearts.”

Features: The imaginative three-bedroom bungalow on Alameda’s east end hosts an interior inspired by the cosmos and science fiction. A whimsical and drought-tolerant backyard invokes the imagery of the Southwest with cactuses, palms and a patio deck fashioned after an Airstream trailer. The master suite has a dressing room that includes a washer and dryer.